Come What May
by Gigawolf1
Summary: Aang and company get a Firebending Master! But is everything what it seems? Completed.
1. Confrontation

Come What May

By Gigawolf1

Chapter 1: Confrontation

Through the Earth Kingdom's latest generic city, posters filled the streets. The Fire Nation wanted the Avatar, plain and simple. No one in their right minds would give up the Avatar to the enemy who had slaughtered their people and killed their loved ones.

The other posters, therefore, were the bigger threat to the four who walked the barren streets. The posters that promised money from the Bei Fong fortune, that were spread by the Earth Kingdom's only Avatar Hunters. The duo of Master Yu and Shin Fu promised a fortune of the Kingdom's richest man to whoever could bring his daughter to them. Master Yu had almost not come along, for he had doubts as to the situation.

His employer wanted his daughter back because he thought the Avatar had kidnapped her. It made sense, since she was blind. But he had been there, with the girl's father, when she had defeated a group of Earthbenders, including the man who worked with him. She did not seem to be kidnapped, as she was the one who insisted on leaving. He had taught her basics, but she had gotten much stronger without any instruction.

Shin Fu, on the other hand, had seen her many times. In Earth Rumble V, she had defeated The Boulder easily. No one beat her until Earth Rumble VI, when the Avatar faced her. He knew she was tough, but loved money enough to risk his life for it. Even he knew that one shouldn't be able to see when one was blind, but she looked right at him when she beat him.

Four others were in the city, other than the Avatar and his friends. Two were the Earthbending pair, who you know from before. But for those who do not know, the two were little more than an annoyance to even the weakest of benders in the group. The remaining two were no pair, and in fact were against each other. But still, they knew not of the presence of the other. Each was on their individual journey.

As for the Avatar, there is little to tell. Sokka complained, Aang remained bored, Katara had nothing to do, and Toph took in the sights, quite figuratively. This group may not have seemed like much, but Aang was the only person in the known world to wear yellow clothing regularly, and with good reason. Aang was the Avatar, and the last Airbender.

As the last Airbender, Aang was the only known person in the world to be able to move air. Within the world there were four elements, but ever since the Fire Nation slaughtered all the Airbenders a century earlier than today, only three had counted.

Katara and Sokka, younger sister and older brother, found Aang frozen at the Southern Water Tribe, where they lived. He had fled mere days before the Hundred Year War. The last Airbender revealed himself to the Fire Nation's exiled noble, Prince Zuko, within 24 hours of awakening. He needed to find a way to end the war, as was his duty as the Avatar.

As the Avatar, Aang has the power to bend all four elements. Already a master of Airbending before being frozen, he began his quest to master Waterbending, Earthbending, and Firebending before summer's end. Because he needed much time to master the elements, he searched for those who had already mastered the elements, in hope that they could teach him.

And so his small group came to be. He had traveled the world with Katara and Sokka, looking for a Waterbending Master. Upon finding one, the found Master declared Katara as a Waterbending Master. Later, he found Toph, who used Earthbending to see the world around her. She had enough skill to become Aang's Earthbending Master. Though Sokka could not use any form of Bending, he was a skilled warrior.

It was in this general city that three of them were surprised by Master Yu and Shin Fu, who flung stones at them. Toph, having sensed them from far away, blocked their attacks and trapped them in earth. Katara took water from a small jug and froze their heads, keeping them from Earthbending out of their predicament. The group ran until Toph told them to stop.

"Someone's on the rooftops, and there's another who's coming down the street. One's a girl, but the other one looks weird, as though he's been injured somehow. He looks like a monster!"

They stood in the middle of the street as they heard the footsteps of the girl come down the street. Garbed in Fire Nation clothing, she looked injured and tired. Aang looked at her, and recalled how she had attacked them in Omashu. From behind, they heard the soft landing of the Blue Spirit.

The Blue Spirit stared at the girl for only a moment, before leaping over the Avatar and attacking her.

AN: My first Avatar fic has a lengthy first chapter… Master Yu and Shin Fu aren't very important if you ask me, but I will include them.


	2. Defection

Come What May

By Gigawolf1

Chapter 2: Defection

The broadsword approached her head faster than she could imagine. She closed her eyes, but found that the blade hadn't touched her. Opening her eyes, the girl saw that the figure was frozen in place. A wall of stone sent her attacker flying as the ice turned back into water. She looked up at the moon, knowing that she could not stand against a Waterbender and Earthbender without the sun.

Though his friends dealt with the Blue Spirit violently, Aang did nothing against him. He alone knew the true identity of the Blue Spirit, but had no idea why the Fire Nation prince would attack one of his own people. He stood still as Katara and Toph dealt with him, and Sokka ran to check on the girl.

Meanwhile, the two girls were holding their own against the Blue Spirit. As they fought, they realized that the Blue Spirit was far more powerful than them. They had no idea who the Spirit was, or of where he came from. He evaded the ice and stone attacks, but did not try to attack them back. In fact, Katara and Toph needed to block his escape more than attempt to harm him.

"Are you alright?" asked Sokka. Ever the lonely and lowly warrior, he had no luck with girls. One girl he met went to war because of him, and the other gave her life to save the world. He knew he was cursed when it came to love, but he always wanted to try. However, none of these thoughts came to him until the girl blushed and said, "I'm fine, just a little tired." She then collapsed while he held her up.

The Blue Spirit escaped from Katara and Toph without giving away his element, only to find Sokka holding the Fire Nation girl. He ran forward, blade drawn, until Aang stood in his way. "Why are you trying to attack her?" asked the Avatar. The Blue Spirit put his broad swords away and pointed first at the girl, and then at himself. Aang was left confused as the Spirit leapt away.

Aang, Sokka, and the girl were joined by Katara and Toph soon enough. "Where'd he go?" Katara looked in every direction for the Blue Spirit. Toph sighed, saying "He's long gone. I hate people who run. It's annoying when they run from a battle." The uncomfortable silence afterwards left Toph annoyed. "Toph, we're running away from the Fire Nation until Aang can master all the elements."

The girl opened her eyes, seeing Sokka over her. "Where am I?" All four looked at the young Fire Nation girl, who could be no older than Katara. All but Toph knew her only as the girl who had led the attack against them at Omashu, which she had called 'New Ozai'. She had been the one to suggest that trading a King for a baby was a bad idea. Worse, the sister of the baby had agreed.

Aang felt like he knew why the Blue Spirit attacked her, but could not be sure. He knew she could shoot lightning somehow, and assumed it was a high form of Firebending. Suddenly, a thought struck him, ironically, like lightning. "Hey, are you going to be alright?" After she nodded, he prepared to make a proposal he could never take back.

"Could you teach me Firebending?" The question met the shocked faces of Sokka, Katara, and Toph. It also met the slight smirk of Azula, who nodded again before succumbing to her 'injuries'.

Meanwhile, outside the generic city, Mai watched as the Blue Spirit fled the scene. She began to follow him, knowing well enough who he was. Unbeknownst to the Spirit, she chased him.

In the middle of the forest, two figures watched Mai run. Neither had much to do, so they sat down and had some tea, and started discussing Azula, life, and what they would do when they were forced back to the Fire Nation capital.

AN: The series had a two-part opener, so I figure I can use that same method. I'm taking bets as to who the last two are (obviousness pours from me when I want it to, and this is no exception)


	3. Aggravation

Come What May

By Gigawolf1

Chapter 3: Aggravation

The Blue Spirit ran until sunrise. As the sunlight filled his eyes, Prince Zuko removed his mask. His scar, though healed all but superficially, brought pain as the wooden mask was removed. Breathing in the fresh air, he relaxed until he heard the loud crack of a twig. He turned to the direction of the sound, but found nothing.

Still on guard, he leapt up as he heard the slight whistle of knives flying through the air. Where he had been but a moment before, the blades pierced the ground. Drawing his swords, he shouted to the hidden assailant. "Where are you?" The whisper came from behind him. "Right here."

Turning, Zuko found himself face to face with Mai, one of Azula's friends, and the girl who had once been his good friend. Their differences tore them apart, and Zuko could tell that seeing both Azula and Mai so near each other, and with so little time between, that the two were hunting him. However, he had something more important on his mind.

The two leaned towards each other, slowly approaching. As he got closer, Zuko grabbed her arms and forced her head down near the forest floor. "What is Azula up to? What is she doing with the Avatar?" The girl smiled, and, flipping herself, shot a dart from her ankle right into Zuko. The pain made him release her, but that was not the end of their battle.

While the two of them fought in the forest, Sokka tended to the wounds of Azula. He spoke to pass the time, which was other wise unoccupied, since Aang was training with Katara and Toph elsewhere. When Katara had asked if her skills were needed, Azula had said the wounds were more superficial than anything else, but Sokka found this to be startlingly true.

"It looks to me like you just got a couple of scrapes. How did you get hurt, anyway?" Azula visibly winced, though not from pain. "I got into an argument with some Fire Nation soldiers. It turns out that I really can't beat fifteen guys at once." She lay back in a makeshift bed, intending to make the most of her 'wounds'. Sokka got out a wet cloth, and placed it on her forehead. She hissed, but the Water Tribe Warrior ignored it.

Toph and Katara decided that Aang needed to practice by himself for a while, and so they went to a nearby river to relax. Toph was able to sense the running water against the shore, and so they reached it quickly. "As long as we have you, Toph, we'll never get lost!" Katara joked.

A grin reached Toph's face, but she had another thought on her mind. "Katara, do you like Aang?" A blush reached the other girl's face, unnoticed by Toph. "Aang is my friend. So, yes, I like him. Why?" asked the curious older girl. This time, Toph blushed, and instinctively turned away from Katara. "Just wondering!"

Meanwhile, two other characters hid in the woods, hoping not to be discovered anytime soon. Both would be forced to return to the Fire Nation if they were found, but they would do nothing if they were forced to by Azula, so great was her power, and so feared was she. In the meantime, though, they merely enjoyed each others company.

AN: I would rather destroy myself than go OOC. I despise AU. Most of all, I am beginning to hate pairings. Do NOT think of Kataang or Taang©!


	4. Recollection

Come What May

By Gigawolf1

Chapter 4: Recollection

The two Fire Nation nobles stared at each other. Both were panting, unable to defeat the other. Mai smiled, for reasons unknown to Zuko. "What's so funny?"

"You are, Kozuzu. You haven't changed a bit, have you?" Mai's smile only grew wider with the grimace appearing on Zuko's face. "You remember all those years ago, don't you?" Zuko remembered, and all too well. It was the day after Azulon's funeral.

**Flashback**

Zuko sat alone on part of the roof. His mother's disappearance, Azulon's death, Iroh's surrender… All brought him confusion. The very foundation of his belief system was rocked to the core. He knew Azula was becoming more and more violent, and that she had no outer care for her mother's vanishing. Suddenly, he noticed Mai beside him. She held her head between her knees, hiding her face.

He put a hand on her shoulder. He then noticed her red face, caused by blushing. He knew she liked him, but he didn't think of her that way. In fact, not only was he at the stage where girls were taboo, but friends of his sister were especially so. However, he had so much turmoil in the last few days, he felt he needed as much love as he could get. And so he embraced her, whispering promises of friendship. Together, they went to the gates, where Iroh was to arrive.

**End Flashback**

"The day I first donned my mask. I remember that day more than you can imagine. That's what I want to talk to you about, Blue Spirit." From behind her, Mai drew a white mask, depicting a crying spirit. The tears were the colour of blood, denoting a dark deed. Her skills as an assassin had only increased in the years since her nightmares began. Now, she would once again become the White Spirit, secret partner of the Blue Spirit. "I will no longer stand in the shadow of Azula, and neither shall you, Kozuzu."

Zuko stood in shock, for he had not seen the mask since that day. Anger coursed through him as he heard his nickname. He knew he could not continue without help, but from the cursed witch who had helped ruin his life…

Their small camp was only large enough for the five humans plus Appa and Momo. Regardless, Azula felt like she deserved more, and used her female wiles to convince Sokka to get her some more food, preferably meat. The other three sat around their small fire as Azula explained herself.

"I'm pretty high up in the Fire Nation, but I was supposed to capture Zuko and Iroh. The two of them were banished, and now I am too. I was supposed to bring them back as prisoners, but they somehow keep slipping out of my grasp. I was shocked when my old soldiers attacked me, but I did manage to escape. Then that spirit attacked me, and that's my story up until now."

Katara looked at her sceptically. "Why did you attack Aang in Omashu if you're after Zuko?"

"Everyone in the Fire Nation is after the Avatar. I was no exception, and besides, he took the Earthbending King. I couldn't very well let such a powerful Earthbender go free, now could I?"

Toph smiled. "I think we can trust her, Katara. With Aang here, we can't be threatened by any Firebender. No offence, but Aang is the most powerful Bender in the world, Avatar or not." Toph's words made Aang blush slightly, noticed by Katara. To break the awkward moment, Sokka stopped listening in and brought in the food.

While the five ate, Ty Lee told the tale of Azulon's Death to Iroh. The horrors brought the Dragon of the West to one conclusion. He knew where Azula would go, and that he would have to return there first.

Azula asked Aang where they were going. "Well, since you can be my Firebending teacher, we can go pretty much anywhere. We could go to the Southern Air Temple for my training, but people may still need my help."

Azula feigned a shocked face. "Don't you know? The Fire Nation is attacking Ba Sing Se again! If anything, we have to save Ba Sing Se!"

Aang, having no idea that the Earth Kingdom capital was under siege, ran off to tell his friends of their next destination. Azula grinned to herself… Her plan was going perfectly.

Meanwhile, back in the generic Earth Kingdom city, Shin Fu and Master Yu remained stuck in the ground, with their heads frozen. Screams of fury from within attracted little attention, as the people thought it was just their imaginations.

AN: Voting time! Please review, and say whether you want Azula out of the group before Ba Sing Se or not!


	5. Revelation

Come What May

By Gigawolf1

Chapter 5: Revelation

Mere days after Aang and his friends had 'convinced' Azula to join them rather than attempt to cook them, they were on their way to Ba Sing Se. Aang's Earthbending was getting better after a (literally) rocky start. However, Aang was not the only one with something important on their mind.

Sokka made his way beside Azula, slightly blushing. The Fire Nation Princess sat at the rear of the saddle, and ignored Sokka, still looking forward. Her thoughts were broken, and though her instincts told her to recoil, she forced herself to pretend to be interested.

Her thoughts were broken once again by Appa's sudden descent. "What's going on? Why are we landing?"

Aang looked back at her. "Appa's really tired from all the flying, and there's a small camp over there. Besides, you can start to teach me Firebending!"

Reluctantly, Azula accepted this answer. Momo flew ahead to see what nation the village was. Meanwhile, Katara and Toph spoke to one another about the ever-important parts of life. "Aang's really getting good at Earthbending, Katara. Earth can beat Water any day, so it's important he learn it well." Though Toph was blind, Katara was the one oblivious to her surroundings as a figure leapt from branch to branch in the nearby trees. Appa landed quickly, throwing Toph out of the saddle. The vibrations would have helped her, but she did not land on her feet, unable to know her position mid-air.

The group entered the village, each with something different on his or her mind. Toph's sore back, Katara's confusion, Azula's pride, Sokka's frustration, and Aang's mixed feelings about Firebending. None really noticed as three old people emerged from the huts. A voice instead told them of the elders.

"Ah, the Avatar is here at last! Welcome to our small camp! I am the leader, and I am the son of the legendary Malu. But I ramble! Please, eat our food and ruin our buildings!"

He said this all too fast for Aang to hear it all, but he hobbled away. Crouched over, the man had white hair in a very thin layer, and an odd cane. Another old man, though younger, stood beside him. Beside them stood an old woman, who was obviously the youngest, still having dark hair.

Aang and his friends looked at each other before following him inside. Azula, however, stood outdoors, rage filling her. What was he doing here?

"We are Nomads, and travelling ones at that. We wander the world, searching for a peaceful place to eat, sleep, and die. Of course, we prefer the first two but, no one can live forever. From the Avatar to his friends and family, we all die. The Avatar always returns, even if those around him," he said, glancing at Katara and Toph, "Do not."

"Aang, do you want to learn Firebending or not?" shouted Azula. Rushing out, Aang found Azula standing before him. As Toph went outside, she 'saw' several familiar shapes. Two ran swiftly towards the village, while the other two seemed to be in the building she just left. She turned and entered again, unnoticed by all.

Azula gave an evil grin when Aang emerged. "Let me show you a very special technique. Only the Fire Nation Royal Family can learn it. My great-aunts taught it to me. It's Firebending using Lightning. It can be very deadly if it hits your… HEART!" Azula released a powerful burst of lightning right at Aang. Unable to dodge, Aang could do nothing as the blast approached him and…

From nowhere, water rose from a nearby pail. Leaves rose, blocking Aang, while the water doused them. Azula's lightning struck one wet leaf, and started to jump between them. The old man emerged, a mad expression filling his face which, Katara just noticed, had none of the marks of old age.

"Azula, Fire Nation Princess, spoiled little brat, liar extraordinaire, and misandrist to the extreme. Lightning, of all things? Seriously kid, get a brain. Fire is bold, passionate, unpredictable. You are none of these things. An all-out offensive is never the answer when fighting an Airbender. You'd think that at least one Firebender would figure it out after all the times they've tried to catch the same kid."

Azula began to speak, but the man interrupted her again. "Don't talk! Weren't you ever taught to respect your elders? Maybe by the only man you've ever loved, but Zhao is dead by now. He was in his forties before you were born. Those other girls with you don't like you that way, either, you know. I bet they've always noticed you were a bit odd, whether it be the insanity or the whole 'most men are stupid and not worth my time' thing."

Rage flew from Azula, along with burning embarrassment. "I'll destroy your village if you don't leave me alone!", to which the man responded, "Go ahead. We're Nomads. In fact, if you remember, I asked you to. You listened to my advice about capturing the Avatar, since you joined his group and faked attraction to Bill Nye over there. Tell me, did you get to the whole 'I'll take you right to the Fire Lord' part?"

Azula knew her choices were limited, and so chose to escape. From the corner of her eye, she noted that Sokka was emotionally crushed, and so shot lightning at him to distract everyone enough for her escape. This was again blocked, and the old man's motions moved the water quickly. A few drops spilt out of his control, and Sokka was barely saved. The leaves themselves, however, landed on him. A sudden motion later, and a girl in pink was lying barely conscious. Ty Lee could move fast, but Azula was faster still.

Only the man had enough time to see two more appearing on the rooftops. One was the Blue Spirit, while the other was the White Spirit. They glared at Azula intent on blocking any escape. Katara looked at the scene with a blank stare, not comprehending any of it. However, she looked down to find drops of water on the ground. Remembering the man's motions, she found it resembled Waterbending motions, but Waterbenders didn't fling water around in such a way that leaves small drops on the ground, instead moving all the water as one. So, she asked herself, what was he?

AN: Those who know who Malu was, you know exactly what's going on. Those of you who don't, don't. Either way, Azula is leaving the group soon, in the upcoming Conclusion to Come What May. Afterwards, I hope to write a sequel very soon. For now, however, Come What May will be the first of my chaptered stories to reach a conclusion!


	6. Revolution

Come What May

By Gigawolf1

Chapter 6: Revolution

Within the temporary structure, Toph found an old man. Unlike the man outside who was aggravating Azula, this old man was actually old. More importantly, she recognized him. "Hello Toph! What brings you here?" asked Iroh.

Outside, Azula stood before a small group. Ty Lee was unconscious, Katara was distracted, Sokka was covered in wet leaves, leaving only Aang and the Blue and White Spirits. Katara looked at the man who seemed old, but somehow wasn't. He looked at Azula, then at Katara, and a look of realization hit his face. Katara blinked and found herself in front of him as Azula was generating lightning.

"Hey Azula, you see this Waterbender? Young female, slightly younger than you? She's a representation of the only thing we have in common. That is, the fact we both like girls." Azula began to rage, but unleashed fire upon Aang instead. The Avatar dodged quickly, and the resulting fire burnt down an empty hut.

"You think you're clever, don't you old man? Trust me, I will have my revenge. You can't keep me here, and even if you could, you can't beat me."

The man chuckled. "I don't want to keep you here. I feel that you would threaten the innocence of the young girls. Besides, all three of your targets are here. If you leave, you lose." To his surprise, a row of buildings to his left began to burn. "You little bitch! My food was in there!" Azula suddenly flew through the air, stopping before hitting any building.

Azula began to move as she saw the man move again, though slightly. As she dodged, her sleeve ripped slightly, and behind her, a hole broke in a building. She grinned until she noticed that the land beneath her feet was rising. A large boulder rose with her on top. With a quick spinning motion of his hands, it had flipped, and then came crashing down.

Dust rose upon impact, but Azula waved it away. "You think a little bit of Earthbending can beat me? Dream on!" A tongue of blue fire struck out towards him. Instinctively, with the motions of a Waterbender, he drew the fire around behind him and struck at Azula with it.

Nothing could have shocked Azula quite as much as what happened next. After blocking her own fire (an easy feat for her), the man was no where to be seen. She then saw him bounding away, and gave pursuit. Everyone else followed them to what appeared to be a small stadium.

'Why is there a stadium in the middle of nowhere?' thought Zuko. He was the third to reach it, right after Azula and the odd man. "Prince Zuko! You and Azula have some unresolved problems. The best way to solve these, I feel, is with an Agni Kai. And you have no choice!"

Zuko reached for his broadswords, but found they were nowhere to be found. Likewise, he noticed his mask was gone. Azula turned and found Zuko. "To make things fun, make sure it's a real Agni Kai. Absolutely exactly like a regular Agni Kai, or else one thousand monkeys shall consume you."

At this point, Aang, Sokka, and Katara entered the stadium and climbed the stairs. "Why is that guy acting so weird?" asked Aang. His friends could only shrug, confused themselves. A moment later, he was behind them in the stands. "I find that being weird helps to make people off-balance mentally. In the time it takes me to do stuff regularly, I can do twice as much. For example, bringing up Azula's little secret in front of girls she may like distracts her from otherwise obvious facts."

Nudging Sokka, he said "Maybe we get lucky today, my friend."

"What are you talking about? Today, I've found out that the girl I liked wanted to kill me, and doesn't even like guys! How could we get lucky?"

The man smiled mischievously. "In an Agni Kai, the Firebenders fight topless." Sokka could not respond before the man continued. "Then again, I've only seen the guys, so it may be different for girls. Thus the 'lucky' part."

Mai, the White Spirit, found herself locked out. Ty Lee had not come to before she left, and Mai wasn't interested in carrying her. Iroh and Toph, however, stayed in the building and drank tea while waiting for Ty Lee to wake up. "She told me something very interesting, Toph. Something interesting, and horrible as well."

When the fighters emerged, the man had a look of slight disappointment upon his face. Rather than being topless, the Fire Nation Princess was wearing the same kind of pants as Zuko, along with an unrevealing top. The fire began to fly quickly, and more than once it approached the audience. Katara and Aang blocked it easily, but of course, Sokka's hair caught on fire.

Waiting outside the stadium, Mai remembered when her assassin training finished. Her teacher had done the worst criminal act in existence, and she had been forced to watch. She also helped, she reminded herself. The reason her teacher was there was the same as why Mai herself was, and that reason was Prince Zuko.

The Prince fought Azula as hard as he could, but was obviously losing. He could not overpower Azula, but the words of Iroh filled him. "It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understand the other elements… the other nations… will help you become whole."

As a Firebender, he used fire to knock his opponents off-balance and leave them unable to fight back. The Avatar, the last Airbender, used Airbending to dodge attacks. The Waterbender used her element to manipulate her energy and could switch easily between offense and defense in the same motion. The Earthbenders he met attacked with solid strikes, the only element to actually hit in such a way.

Letting go of his fears for a moment, Zuko shot fire in front of him, like he did when attempting to use lightning. As before, the fire exploded before him and propelled him away as Azula's latest fire strike hit where he had been standing. Another fire blast came, and rather than evading, he took the attack and used Firebending to make it his own.

The sudden change in events left Azula off-balance. "The unexpected leaves the unchanging confused," said the man. "That is important to remember, young Avatar. Just as it is to remember that power alone is not needed to learn an element." They looked on as Zuko raised a wall of fire to absorb a blast from Azula, then sent the wall itself at her. 'Just like Toph did when she rescued me,' thought Aang.

Azula hoped to wave away the flame, but it would not relent. She was skilled in the art of Firebending, but could not even dream of the potential power inherent in the method used. The man continued narrating to Aang the importance of Zuko's attacks.

"Firebending means you create and unleash Fire. Upon contact, the fire breaks to better burn. This allows the Firebender to attack again quickly. By using fire to propel themselves out of harm's way, they can take an opponent off-balance. Likewise, a wall of fire flung at a foe, or returning a fire blast, switches the defensive into offensive. Unlike regular Firebending, however, maintaining the flames makes them harder, if not impossible, to wave away. A strong flame can eventually resist the wind, just as the stone survives erosion by becoming earth."

Undeterred by her surprising inability to defeat Zuko easily, Azula began to burn the stadium itself. While Katara and Aang tried to extinguish the fire, Azula ran with Zuko chasing after her. Azula was grinning until she ran into a wall of solid stone. "Where do you think you are going, Azula?" asked Iroh, who was standing beside Toph.

"Again? You are really starting to get annoying, you know. Especially you, Uncle, who has no idea what you're doing anymore," to which he replied, "Of course, you would know everything about planning ahead. I know everything now, about how you planned the murder of Fire Lord Azulon, and how you plan to rule the Fire Nation!"

The man laughed. "Iroh, I guess this means you owe me five coins! I told you she was responsible for everything." Sokka muttered something to the essence of "This guy's really getting on my nerves." He watched as the man jumped down, fire following him, swirling around along with the dust he landed near. Finally, he unleashed his final weapon; the man hit Azula with her own fire, along with some dust from the ground and some water Katara was flinging around. Covered in mud before becoming baked, Azula was trapped.

Smiling, the man did the most unexpected thing in the world. He created an air scooter, a technique invented by Aang mere days before he disappeared, mere days before the genocide of the Airbenders. He leapt off of it, kicking her into the ground. None around him expected this, as Aang was, until the man proved otherwise, the only known Airbender in the world.

Knowing there was no chance of survival where she was, Azula used intense fire to cover her escape. As she left, she thought of how Ty Lee and Mai had dared to betray her. 'They'll pay for their betrayal,' she thought. She ran towards the Fire Nation soldiers who were supposed to be following her to Ba Sing Se, knowing that now they were her only chance of reaching the city in time.

The man turned towards Aang. "Avatar, you likely wish to know how the Airbenders survived. I shall tell you, but not just yet. You need rest, and so does everyone else. For now, let us recover in my burning home. Soon, the flames shall be extinguished, and you can continue on to Ba Sing Se."

AN: Long, weird, and almost finished. Any questions you want answered will be in the upcoming chapter.


	7. Explanation

Come What May

By Gigawolf1

Chapter 7: Explanation

"Okay, I'll bite. How did an Airbender survive for 100 years while a war was going on?"

The old man sat in the midst of a circle, surrounded by Toph, Aang, Sokka, Katara, Iroh, Zuko, Ty Lee, and Mai. Obviously, not everyone in the group was very happy about whom they were with; Ty Lee was across from Sokka, who she has a crush on; likewise, Mai was across from Zuko, who was between Sokka and Katara, his two least-favourite people, who are likely to kill him first chance they get.

Sokka's question was answered swiftly. "I didn't. I'm closer to around 30 years, kid. Pay attention."

Katara raised her hand. "Why do you look so old, then?"

A smile crossed the man's face. "You don't recognize it, do you? This is Flying Bison Fur. Now, most of us have never seen a Flying Bison in our lives, but mere days ago, in a nearby river, the fur came down by the clump… Is that the word for it? Anyway, I was able to make fake eyebrows, beards, hair… Quite wonderful stuff, and to make ourselves look only slightly older, there was grey fur."

Toph shouted out her question. "Who's Malu?"

"Malu is also known as the Ghost Witch. We call her our mother, but she is in fact the oldest Airbender alive, aside from the Avatar, of course."

Aang was quick to reaching the thick of it. "How did the Airbenders survive? Weren't the Air Temples attacked?"

"Of course they were, but the Air Nomads were a great race. Very little of the Air Nomad society actually lived at any Air Temple. Only the most powerful Airbenders taught their art to the next generation; only Airbending Masters and Students lived in the temples. Surely you knew that much? Well, more than one pregnant Air Nomad woman had not been to the Temples in ages, and instead had their babies elsewhere. Now, Air Nomads are everywhere in the world."

Ty Lee raised her hand next. "How did you break a building with Airbending? That was cool!" Several annoyed stares landed upon her, but she lacked the attention span to notice.

"As you know, there are four Bending Disciplines. Long ago, I found that, though only the Avatar can bend all four Elements, each Bending Discipline has a Style. Incorporating the style of another Discipline, aside from what one can normally use, allows one to do the impossible. I made a wall of solid air, moved the water gently, and forced fire upon Azula."

"That doesn't answer her question…" interjected Mai.

"True, true. Anyway, the reason why I was able to do that is because the air pushes everything else. In fact, without the air, without Airbending, there could be no Bending Disciplines. There would be no life. Everyone Airbends, even if they don't quite know it. And…"

"ANSWER HER QUESTION!" screamed Zuko, angered by the avoidance of the question.

"Fine. I made it spin really fast, so it flew straight, and took out a large chunk of wall. Good enough? Moving on!"

Finally, Iroh had his turn to ask the man a question. "How did you know Azula was plotting everything from the start?"

"I'm glad you asked that. First of all, Iroh, please try to paraphrase when indulging my mad sense of modesty. Second, it is my business to know, for I was once the legendary Spirit of the Forest, who guarded the woods of the world. I intercepted refugees, from Colanga to Ursa, and they tell interesting tales."

A murmur rose from the crowd. Aang alone was left in the dark, never having met neither the Fire Princess, nor the last Southern Water Tribe Chief, who had left his children in charge of their home. The man once known as the Spirit of the Forest continued, saying "Ursa told me she assassinated Azulon, because Azula said he would kill Zuko. Colanga, last of the Water Tribe Warriors, told me instead that the current Fire Lord was to be banished, as told by the journal of the Fire Lord. I figured one or the other must be lying, and I picked the little sociopath. I also figured out how to bug her; Azula was loved by everyone but her mother; therefore, her anger came from the fact she was loved by everyone but the most important person in her life; which, in turn, through an ancient reversal of the Electra Complex, I found out that Azula likes girls almost as much as I do. Nice little bit of info, as seen today.

"The ultimate question you may have to ask, though, is how I knew Azula. Well, mere days ago, she came to me for advice. I asked her name, and she told me. I saw how she looked at her friends; I looked the same way at them. Anyway, I told her to split up the group, to cover more ground. I convinced her that Zuko and Iroh were minor threats, and that only Aang was too powerful for her friends to take alone. I simply explained the basic logic behind her trick. The Avatar must learn Firebending and make it to the Fire Nation. Azula must capture the Avatar and take him to the Fire Nation. Therefore, it's obvious that the best course of action is for Aang's Firebending Master to be one with access to the Fire Nation. However, Ba Sing Se is under siege, and you must help defend it. Lucky for you, though, you also have a strong and able Firebender in your midst, who will help teach you."

Zuko shook his head, but the Spirit of the Forest pointed instead to Iroh. The ex-Fire Nation General nodded solemnly, accepting the duty of accompanying the Avatar to the Great Earth Kingdom City of Ba Sing Se.

The group prepared to depart, but Iroh held back a moment. "I'm not sure what you hope to accomplish, forcing me to accompany them…"

The man whispered harshly into the old man's ear. "Part of our bargain, if you recall. 5 coins, and you have to go to Ba Sing Se. I know for a fact your skills will be required… I also know Zuko will follow you to the City. The thrill of the gamble, along with the need to test the spirits of mortals, is always my purpose. Besides," said the man, "You have someone to speak to when you arrive, old friend."

With these words, Iroh joined the Avatar's small group. They boarded Appa, and took off from the small village.

Left behind with the Spirit of the Forest were Ty Lee, Mai, and Zuko. Taking one quick look at the man who stared at them funnily, the girls joined Zuko, and the three ran from the town. Sighing, he entered his home, which was badly burnt. 'This has got to be the weirdest day in my life.'

AN: And… DONE! While the Spirit of the Forest is a paedophile, I am not (he's 30, around twice my age). And ladies, if you love my work, I'm single. Seriously though, This may seem really weird, but no episode I've seen directly conflicts with this, to my knowledge. Please, REVIEW MY FIRST COMPLETED STORY (not including short story collections and OneShots.


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